How do I connect my Mac to a WPA Wireless network?

Hello, I’m using a Linksys WRT54GS Router to connect my G4 Mac PowerBook w/ OSX 10.4.2 to the Web, and it’s working great. However, I created a closed WPA network internally with Airport and now I can’t seem to change the security setting without losing that WPA signal. This WPA network is all the router/Powerbook recognizes, and I can’t lower the setting for friends with WiFi laptops. I know my SSID and lil’ password but not the WPA. So where or how can I change the security setting with Airport? Or is it permanent?

My colleague Chris Buechler and I went back and forth trying to figure out exactly what you’re asking, and here’s what Chris finally came up with: If I understand your question, it sounds like you have configured WPA on your Linksys wireless access point and your Powerbook, but you’re not sure about your WPA Pre-Shared Key.
WiFi Protected Access, WPA, is an encryption standard for wireless networks, and is currently the most common standards-based strong encryption for wireless networks. The WEP protocol, Wired Equivalent Privacy, was the original encryption protocol designed for WiFi networks which WPA was designed to replace due to insecurities discovered in WEP.
The problem with any type of wireless network encryption is the relative difficulty of getting machines connected to the network. This is one reason the vast majority of wireless networks, especially home and small business wireless networks, do not employ any type of protection. It can be difficult to get your own machines configured properly, much less visitors’ laptops.
To change your WPA Shared Key, log into your Linksys, click the Wireless tab, and click Wireless Security. There you will see a box labeled WPA Shared Key. Change it there, make note of what it is, and click Save Settings. You can then enter this key into your Powerbook, and subsequently any visitors’ laptops.
On your typical small office/home office grade wireless access points, you cannot configure multiple wireless networks on a single device (most enterprise class access points do permit this, though at a much higher cost). Each wireless network can either use WEP, WPA, or no protection. That is, you cannot use WPA on your laptop, and still connect visitors’ laptops to an open network.
Unfortunately there is no easy solution. You can try to use WPA on all visitor laptops, and if they’re running OS X or Windows XP, that should not be much of an issue. With older laptops, that might not be feasible. You could disable WPA while you have visitors and enable it at all other times. There are alternatives that allow you to run a second, open wireless network segregated from the rest of your network and protect it through other means, but are well beyond the scope of this answer and difficult at best for someone without a decent amount of networking knowledge.
For more information about safe wireless network use, you’ll want to check out our Connect Safely Wireless Security and Privacy Guide.

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I do have a lot to say, and questions of my own for that matter, but first I'd like to say thank you, Dave, for all your helpful information by
buying you a cup of coffee!

34 comments on “How do I connect my Mac to a WPA Wireless network?”

i have got one second hand mac os x 10.4.11
i could not connect my d-link usb adapter to net
i was told that d-link mac drivers would not support so i down loaded ralink drivers . Still i am unable to accuses net can anybody help me

hey my boyfriends sisters husband bought a school laptop and i am trying to connect it for him, but it will not connect. it is saying the password for my network is not correct. i need help. i would do anything just to make this connect.

I have a G4 iMac with system 10.4. Up until recently (when my kids did something to it) I was able to connect through the Belkin WIFI to the internet without problems. I’m using a Telda USB WIFI adaptor in the Mac and the WIFI software reports that the Mac is connected. Also, the WIFI-internet set up is fine since my iPhone can still transfer data OK.
In Preferences/Network I’ve tried everything, even inputing settings (DHAP, IP address and router info) that had worked previously and it still doesn’t “see” the internet.
The Apple Assistant doesn’t help because I’m not using an Airport device. I’m pretty sure it was set to use an ethernet adaptor (“en2″) when it was working.
Any ideas?
thanks
JK

I have a similar problem. Recently my PowerBook G4 (15″ 1.67 on OS X 10.5.8) will connect to my wireless networks, but it won’t connect to the internet. I get a message saying the server can not be found. I’ve tried everything from forgetting the network and deleting the keychain with no success. I’ve tried all the steps I could locate on Apple’s support website. I’ve also tried cleaning up with OnyX. Other computers work just fine. It seems to be isolated to my Mac. Any ideas?

Hi there,
My roomate set up our wireless router last month with a WPA password. I have just bought a new Macbook Pro and keep trying to log on to the network but it won’t show up. I have managed to ‘Join Other Network’ and when I open my Network preferences the network is there, but it doesn’t connect me, and doesn’t show up in my list of networks available. Is there someway of adding it to the list? I am currently borrowing someone elses wifi but the connection is not great.
Any help you can give would be great.
Thanks

Hi again, I just posted that last question and now I can’t get online wireless!!!! I screwed something up big time and I can’t find my network and when I put it in manually and the password it still won’t work. Right now I’m plugged into cable sitting on the bedroom floor!!! I want to be wireless again…can you help me? Pleeeese!!!

I’ve been trying to find out how to set up a secure system….I have wireless mac book and other people can come over and get online thru my wifi. I read a lot of your comments here and then went on airport set up assistant and went to change existing airport, then changed the wireless security from none to wpa personal, put in passwords then I went to the airport admin utility and clicked on create a closed network. Can you tell me if I did the right thing or did I screw up any settings? All I’m trying to do is keep my neighbors from getting on my airwaves!!! Thank you.

OK I read through this sting and it seems like my problem is a little different. I just set up my boyfriends laptop to a Cisco/linksys wireless router WRT54G2 and his laptop is working fine (toshiba using windows vista). When I went to connect my MACbook Pro to the wireless it asked for the passcode, I entered what I thought was the passcode and it seemed to work but when I open safari I get the message “request timeout / the server timed out while waiting for the browsers request/ reference #2.a9a81160.1285259677.0″
The airport says that it is connected but just cant get online.
Any suggestions?
Thanks

Hey Dave,
I have a iMac G4 running on tiger 10.4 and I was able to connect to the wireless network with my airport just fine before we put on a password on the connection. Now that’s it’s a secured network, my mac will not accept the password or the router information for my airport. It keeps saying invalid password, etc. Please help me out with this, my brain hurts just trying to research the root of the problem. I appreciate your help!
Thank you
B

Hello this might seem like a different thread but I was wondering if you could somehow help me. I am trying to run a simple adhoc wireless network off of my windows 7 ultimate 64 bit pc open no authentication, my friend cannot connect with his mac osX snow leopard. He shows on his finder as connected but all my pc says is awaiting users while if another pc were to join my network it would change to connected on my end. nonetheless my friend was able to network with a Vista 32-bit pc without any issues. So many variables here but basically my diagnosis is the 64-bit platform might have something to do with the issue as well as windows 7 might have lost the one good thing Vista had to offer in networking capabilities. Hey whatever you can do to get me one step closer to having that mac connect with my 7 PC would be awesome obviously it is possible from the Vista example. Thank you in advance for all your help!
Damian J.

I have a Mac OX S and I just wanted to know, where can I find my WPA password. I can not connect to my internet? Also, how do I reset my default on that? Could you please e-mail me ASAP because I can’t get my internet to work. Thanks Dave.

I have a DLink router that I am using with my MacBook Pro. I has worked fine until I tried putting WEP security on it. I made sure I’m typing in the proper password however it always says that their was “an error” joining the network. Not that I have the wrong password. What is going on here?

I have a macbook pro that is connected to my wireless network. I had to enter the password with a $ in front of it to make it connect. Now my mother has bought one, we did the same thing, no problem. Two days later it won’t connect. It repeatedly asks for the password making me think that is the problem.
What could have been changed that would cause it not to connect?

I set up a secure wireless network for my mac, and now i cannot find the network. My Linksys router always sends me to NETGEAR or linksys instead of my network. How do I find it again and how do i use it again?

TE, what you need to do is figure out your Mac Mini’s MAC address, then *enter that* into your Linksys as an acceptable device. Then you’ll be golden.
How to get that MAC addr? Check this handy page at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory:http://www-dcn.fnal.gov/DCG-Docs/mac/MAC-OS-X.html

I had trouble connecting my Mac Mini to my Lynksis WRT54G router. It would not accept any variation of passwords whether in WEP or WPA. I the end I disabled the MAC filter control, and hey presto! on line.

TJ, whether you’re running a Mac or PC, it’s the same situation: the question is whether the site you’re visiting is secure or not. Always look for “https:” addresses once you’ve started adding material to your shopping cart and when you’re checking out. Also, since you’re on an open public network, make sure you’ve “battened down the hatches” on your computer, turning off all file and service sharing and so on. I have lots of articles on how to do that here on the site. Good luck.

I want to purchase a Mac but I have one question. I stay on an apartment complex that provides free wireless but the connection isn’t secure. Could I still use the Mac OS X and still feel comfortable using it for online shopping?

If you have not connected I found that I had to change the “location of my network to “Home-Wireless” then automatic it found my wireless access point , aked for the passcode I use WEP and it connected no problem
Cheers
Drew

Great question, Julie. The short answer is “wifi networks only range about 150 feet at best, so your neighbors just don’t have wifi”. The long answer? I’ve written a new blog post on this subject and will publish it later in the week.

Hi Dave – I have a MacBook laptop, OS X, 10.5.6 I brought my laptop to work (3 blocks from my apt.) and I wanted to get onto the internet. I found a couple of wireless networks using my built in AirPort that did not require a password. The connections are unreliable and slow, and probably not secure, (it doesnt matter because I’m not doing my banking or anything – just surfing), but I got onto the internet.
Once home, I’m unable to find any none-password networks and can’t seem to get back on the ones I found at work. Isn’t there such a thing as “free wifi”? E.g. at Starbucks, etc. Where and how can I find a free network? Or, where and how can I find out network passwords (I don’t want to invade anyone’s privacy – just want to keep myself entertained at a boring job!) Also, how can I create MY OWN network? Even if it’s unsecure, I’d like to be able to unplug my ethernet cable at home and bring the laptop into other rooms.
I’m not a techie, so forgive me if I sound naive. I hope you can help! Thank you! – Julie

Hi Dave,
I have been on the linksys network for over two years on my wireless dell laptop. Recently the linksys network disappeared from my available networks. How can I get it back so that I can connect to it.
Thanks,
B

Dave,
I have a broad question RE: internet commerce and privacy; How do you feel about the use of “Web Beacons” to collect/track personal website behavior. How is a “Beacon” different from a cookie and would its use preclude you from involving yourself with a company/service provider?
Thank you,
JL

Hi, actually i do have the same trouble, my router uses a wep key that i configured my self and it doesn´t seem to work on the mac, i´ve tried to open the wireless connection, change it to wpa and nothing could you pls help me, i just got my mac and i can´t even get connected through ethernet, thanks

Hi dave,
I want my mac laptop to connect to office wireless network, but when i select the the network it asks for password (40-hex, 40-ascii, 128-hex or 128-ascii, or LEAP).
It doesn’t take any simple or complex password(WPA keys) under any of above catagory.
sometime it ask for correct password or some time it says “error joining selected network”
What do i do to connect my mac to wireless network ?
please halp !!!

I have wireless network on my college, however, I can not connect my ibook g4 to it, I have tried some other networks and it works…..I have contacted the administrator of the network to assist but he can’t do anything because apple doen’t have some Microsoft script or something like that to authorise the computer to the network, I know this is a silly q but I am really neew to this, help please

Hi dave
Ihave i PB G4 1.76 15″
when i try to connecto to wirless network to my job (WEP)
say my that i Cant connect to network :/
i put the right pass etc.
if i try a wireless network without WEP and any secirity i cant logon
have u any idea why ?

hey there, im currently using the internet on my brothers pc which is connected to a wireless router, I have a mini mac upstairs and id like to connect it to the same router and was wondering how and what hardware i would need to buy to do this, sorry if this is a silly question

Hi Dave.
I have the same problem, but as I’m a newbie maybe I just don’t understand the answer, so please let me clarify.
I also have a WPA-key for my wireless network which linksys creates automatically, but when I bring home my work iMac, AirPort can’t seem log on. When I turn on Airport Exress, and try logging in the key (asks for password) under 40-hex, 40-ascii, 128-hex or 128-ascii, or LEAP, it didn’t work and can’t seem to log onto the network. Are Mac’s just not compatible with WPA keys? (I have OSX Tiger loaded on my iMac)
Please help, if you can.

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